Humidifier



Feb; 1928 G. M. GRAY ET AL HUMIDIFI ER Filed Jan. 26, 1927 Patented Feb.7, 1928.

' LESS-J21 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

GEORGE M. GRAY, OF BROOKLINE, AND COLL T. FLINT, OIE ARLINGTON,MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO PETER GRAY & SONS INC., CAMBRIDGE,MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

HUMIDIFIER.

Application filed January 26, 1927. Serial No. 163,784.

This invention relates to a humidifier for use with radiators, registersand the like and of that character in which the heated air from theradiator passes up through a fabric which is supplied with moisture bycapillary attraction from a receptacle contalning water.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple,inexpensive and highly eficient construction of humidifier of thisgeneral character.

To this'end, the humidifier is provided with two trough-like membersof'sheet metal spaced apart to leave an air passage between theirupright walls, and connected at their opposite ends by tie members,preferably sheet metal'plates, which are welded or otherwise securedliquid-tight to the opposite ends of the trough-like sheet metal membersand form end walls for liquid receptacles or compartments.

The inner walls oi the liquid receptacles preferably converge upwardlytoward each other and preferably terminate below the level of the upperedges of the outerside walls.

The converging side walls are connected together by one or more crossrods and the end plates are also connected by one or more rods whichextend between and longitudinally of the water receptacles.

The longitudinally and transversely extended rods serve to strengthenthe apparatus and also form a support for the portion of an open meshfabric which covers the space between the water receptacles, and has itsfree ends or sides extended down into said receptacles.

The sheet metal end plates are preferably 49 provided with inturnedflanges, for a purpose as will be described.

The apparatus will preferably be provided with a cover, as will bedescribed.

The particular features of the invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a humidifier embodying this invention;

Fig. 2, a cross section of the humidifier shown in Fig. 1, taken on theline 22;'

Fig. 3, a detail of one of the troughshaped sheet metal members, and

Fig.4, a perspective of one of the end plates.

Referring to thedrawings, a, '6 represent two liquid receptacles, whichare open at their upper ends and separated by a space 0.

Each of the receptacles a, b is troughshaped and provided with asubstantially vertical outer side wall 10, a bottom wall 12 and an innerwall 13, which'latter is inclined upwardly and outwardly from the bottomwall 12 and is preferably made of less height than the outer wall 10.

The walls 10, 12, 13 of the trough-shaped members are preferablyprovided with flanges 15, 16, 17 respectively, which are extended atright angles to said walls as represented in Fig. 3.

The walls and flanges referred to are made in one piece and of sheetmetal.

The sheet metal side and bottom walls of the receptacles a, b, havewelded, brazed or otherwise secured to them end walls 18, 19, which formpart of end plates 20, whose intermediate portion 21 serves as a timemember to connect the receptacles a, i), together.

The end-plates 20 are provided with top, bottom and side flanges 22, 23,24, and the intermediate portion 21 is provided with a bottom flange 25of greater width than the bottom flanges 23 of the end walls 18, 19 andlocated at a higherlevel than the bottom flanges 23 (see Figs. 1, 2 and4) to stiffen the sheet metal end walls and also to provide theapparatus with end supports located between the liquid receptacles at ahigher level than the bottom walls of said receptacles, so that in somecases the humidifier may be fitted over the central portion of theradiator.

The inner side walls 13 of the receptacles a, b are connected togetherby one or more cross bars or rods 30, which are welded to the inner sidewalls 13.

The intermediate portions 21 of the end plates 20 may be connectedtogether by one or more longitudinally extended rods 31, which areprovided at their opposite ends with bent fingers 32 which are welded tothe said end plates.

The rods 30, 31 serve to strengthen the v humidifier and also as asupport for a fabric 33 having a relatively large or open mesh, and madeof sufficient length to have its opposite sides or ends extend into andrest upon the bottom walls of the water receptacles a, b, so that theportion of the fabric which spans the space 0 may be supplied withliquid from the receptacles by capillary .attraction, which liquid iscarried off into the room by the heated air rising from the radiator andpassing upwardly through the space a, through the wide meshes of thefabric 33, and through the openings 34 in a sheet metal cover 35 whichis provided with side and end flanges 36 for engagement with the outerside walls 10 of the receptacles a, b, and the end plates 20, asrepresented'in Figs. 1 and 2.

The humidifier herein shown, is capable of being placed upon radiatorsof normal width with the bottom walls 12 of the receptacles a, b restingon the radiator.

In cases where the radiator is sufficiently narrow, the humidifier maybesupported by the inturned flanges 25 resting on the radiator. The upperportion of the radiator in such cases is extended into the space 0between the liquid receptacles a, b.

The bottom flange 25 is made of suflicient length to contact with theinner walls 13 of the receptacles a, b, and serves not only tostrengthen the end plates 'but also. to support the inclined inner walls13 at their ends, and further the ends of the flange 25 alfords a meansto which the inner walls 13 may be soldered, thereby strengthening theinner walls of the troughs to such extent as to enable them and the endwalls to be made of relatively thin sheet metal and thereby reduce thecost of theapparatus.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the longitudinally extendedrod 31 is located above the cross bars 30 and rests thereon, and thatits upper surface is at a higher level than the upper edges of the innerside walls 13 of the receptacles a, b, so that the portion of the openmeshed fabric resting on the rod 31 slopes downward in oppositedirections toward the receptacles a, b, which causes the liquid to crawluphill from the receptacles and prevent accumulation of liquid to suchextent as to drop down through the space 0 upon the floor or a carpetthereon, which if allowed to occur would injure the floor especially ifof hard wood, and also injure the carpet if one is used on the floor.

From the above description it will be observed that a highly eficienthumidifier which is light yet strong and capable of being readilyhandled as a unit may be produced at a minimum cost.

The intermediate portion 21 of the end plates may be provided with holes40 for the passage of wires (not shown) by which the humidifier may befastened to the radiator if desired.

What is claimed is: v

1. In alhumidifier of the character described, in combination,substantially troughshaped sheet metal members spaced apart and open attheir tops, end plates secured liquid-tight to the opposite ends of saidmembers to form end walls of liquid receptacles and having anintermediate portion extended across the space between said members toconnect said receptacles together, a relatively open mesh fabricextended across the space between said receptacles and having itsendsextended into the latter, and a support for the portion of thefabric between the said receptacles, said support comprising a cross rodattached to the troughshaped members, and a longitudinally extended rodattached to the said end plates and arranged at a higher level than theuppler edges of the inner walls of said receptac es.

2. In a humidifier of the character described, in combination,substantially troughshaped sheet metal members spaced apart and open attheir tops, end plates secured liquid-tight to the opposite ends of saidmembers to form end walls of liquid receptacles and having anintermediate portion extended across the space between said members toconnect said receptacles together, said intermediate portion having itslower porceptacle, said support being arranged at a higher level thanthe upper edges of the inner walls of said receptacles to cause the saidfabric to slope downward from said sup port toward said receptacles:

names to this specification.

GEORGE M. GRAY. COLL T. FLINT.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our

